


Because Only the Heart

by matan4il



Series: Because Only the Heart [3]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Fluffy Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-11
Updated: 2017-12-11
Packaged: 2019-02-13 12:09:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12983775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/matan4il/pseuds/matan4il
Summary: One cold winter's day, down the line from their reunion and second wedding. Robert comes home from work. Aaron's been waiting for him.Written as a part of the 'Because Only the Heart' series (especially given the notes at the beginning of this work), but can be read as a stand alone.Written for Iamarobronniffler, may all of your birthdays be merry and magical! xox





	Because Only the Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [iamarobronniffler](https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamarobronniffler/gifts).



> I babbled on [here](http://matan4il.tumblr.com/post/168009907746/this-is-a-really-really-rough-and-quick-sketch) about the imagery at the end of 'Almost Right' (first work in this series) being a nod to the Greek Mythology tale of Psyche and Eros, with all of the meaning behind it. The end of this work also revisits that, for example because Psyche was many times depicted in art with butterfly wings. The rest of the dialogue with that tale hopefully needs no explaining.
> 
> Hope everyone enjoys!

Aaron is standing outside the Mill, cup of hot tea in his hand. Waiting to offer it to his husband upon his return from work. He tries to play it off like it's no big deal, just shrugging it off, and yeah, most people in their right mind would have taken it precisely like that. After all, it's nothing but some hot brew on a cold day. No grand gesture there.

Only Robert knows better. He's been in love with this man for what feels like his entire life, like several lifetimes even. Like somehow he knew and loved Aaron even before they'd met. So he can't be fooled. Aaron cares with his whole being. It reverberates from him. Not a sound most people are in tune with, it's too crystal clear, but Robert hears. Aaron's been worried about him, wanted to take care of him. He broke his nonchalant facade even as he tried to maintain the charade, put in the time and effort, small as it may seem to others, waited outside, used the warmth of his own hands to try and keep the cool air from lowering the sizzling liquid's temperature. 

Robert gets it. It’s been a while since circumstances required grand gestures of them. 

Gone are the days when they had to stare at each other from across a room or a driveway and pretend that the distance wasn't killing them. Gone, the instances when they tried to support each other as friends despite that. Gone are the times when Robert had to wait, despite having no hope, or when Aaron had to rush to his rescue, to be his shield when the full extent of Lachlan's madness unfolded. Gone is the period when Robert made his feeble attempt to push Aaron away, to choose his ex husband's happiness over his own. And with it, gone is also Aaron's need to convince Robert that there's no need for that attempt. Because the choice they made on their first wedding day still held true. They may not have had a clue what was coming for them, about to tear them apart, but not even that could change their choice. “You're the one, Robert,” Aaron reminded him as many times as was needed. “I see you for who you are. You're the only man who could ever make me this happy.” It's quite a journey back, but by the time they made their vows legal on their second wedding day, Robert doesn't need to have it said anymore. Every so often, though, Aaron does all the same. 

They settle into a new routine. A boring one, some might say behind their backs. It wouldn't matter even if it were said to their faces, they'd simply laugh such judgment off. They've had enough excitement for quite some time. It drives home just how special even boring can be when it's shared with the right person. So instead of minding the mundane, they enjoy everything. The quiet certainty of their lives having been rejoined once more. The freedom to spend mornings longer in bed than is strictly required. The dissipation of the many worries that plagued so much of their togetherness in the past. The ease and honesty of their foreheads touching in moments of being silently and utterly content, telly blazing in the background, all but forgotten. 

No, no more need for grand gestures. But Robert still knows how to read the magnitude of Aaron's gestures even in the seemingly small ones. It flares up something inside him, hotter than any brew. January is almost upon them again. The frost biting into Robert's hands as he reaches out to take the mug out of Aaron's grip leaves no doubt about that. And there Robert is, despite the cold, warmth washing all over him. 

“Do I look that much in need of saving?” He asks, smile too big to be contained by the light playfulness of his words. 

“Always,” Aaron replies, scrunching his face a bit, before giving in and no longer attempting to hide his own grinning. “It's a good thing I have special powers for this, then.” 

“Do ya?” Robert nods as if contemplating this in earnest. “In that case, I woulda thought you'd had simply done something about the the weather by now, instead of toiling away in the kitchen”. 

It’s odd, the sun doesn’t suddenly come out from behind the clouds, as Robert for a second amused himself that it would. As if it was summoned by Aaron's need to not let him have the last bit of banter. Yet seemingly out of nowhere, a butterfly does appear and finds a home for a moment on the left breast of Aaron's coat. They stare for a second, before either of them speaks. 

Then, it's Robert who says, “I guess you are magic after all.” His voice makes it evident that he means it, because it makes perfect sense to him. The nature in Emmerdale is a major part of what he'd missed during his years away from the village. It's a part of what makes this place feel scarily like home, including the period when Robert didn't want it to. Nature has been a part of so many of their afternoons of bold love-making. Why shouldn't this same nature be as in love with Aaron as Robert was? 

He coughs abruptly, because the soft change in the expression on Aaron's face tells him that his husband is having no problems following his train of thought. “I, ummm. I was going to tell you later in the week, but since we're talking magic… I have your birthday surprise here.” He hands Aaron a thin envelope and watches as the tickets inside are fished out. 

“A trip to Euro Disneyland?” The screwing up of Aaron's face is sincere this time. 

“I remember when we were younger, you were so keen to go, like this other kid you'd heard about and his parents. But the Dingles couldn't afford it back then, so… I thought I'd fix that for ya.” 

“You remembered that?” Aaron's features smooth over as he lights up. Then his tone turn to amusement. “Oi, you do remember I lived in France, yeah?” 

Robert shrugs. “I figured your knob of a footballer boyfriend probably didn't take you there.” 

“Ed was not a knob. And I didn't need him to, I went with some mates.” It's easy to tell how pleased Aaron is, really. 

“Every other guy you've ever been with is a knob to me,” Robert doesn't let up and Aaron snorts at that, unintentionally chasing the butterfly away as there's a bit of laughter in there, too. And that is even more enchanting to Robert. He persists. “You've been there, right, but you haven't been there with me, so now you get to take me around,” his voice drops to huskier tones, “show off what you can do with that sexy French of yours.” The side of Robert's lips turns up and he leans in for a kiss above the small steam clouds still struggling to rise from the cooling cuppa. 

Back when he made this promise, that he would one day take Aaron with him to France, it was one Robert had made to the both of them. It might have taken him much longer to come through than he had intended, but despite all the curveballs life had thrown at them, he was going to see it through. Just as, no matter how roundabout the road might have been, they also ended up keeping every other promise they had made to each other. Aaron was his soul, his heart. Had seen Robert for who he truly was even when he couldn’t see himself. Because only the heart can recognize love. This was the real nature of their union. Obstacles could try and rise against this, but they could never stand a chance. Eventually, as they have before, they would always find their way back to each other. They would always fulfill every vow they had ever exchanged and seal it just like now, with a kiss.


End file.
